Improvement in railway-switch locks



A.- THOMSON. RAILWAY SWITCH LOGK.

Patented Mar 28 (saw 4 tint $ll1it5 time one,

AROHIBALD Thomson-on ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

Letters Patent No. 113,112, dated March 28, 187.1.

IMPROVEMEMT IN RAILWAY-SWITCH LOCKS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part ofthesame.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ARGHLBALD THOMSON, of St.Louis, in the'county of St. Louis andState of Miss souri, have madecertain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Switch Locks; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full and true descriptionthereof; reference being bad to the accompanying drawing and to theletters of reference marked thereon.

' In the use of the ordinary padlock for locking railroad-switches itisknown that said looks, from exposure 'tothe weather, are rendereddifiicult for unlocking, time consuming; also, said locks are easilybroken andlost from their chain attachment, and otherwise areinefiective in'insuring perfect safety in the handling and adjustment ofthe switch, as required.

This to avoid,,and to form and improved switch-lock,

the nature of my invention consists in providing withiua slot of thelever or target a tumbler, spring, and bolt, said devices being soconstructed and ar-' ranged that, by means of a turn-bolt, theswitch-bolt can readily be locked or unlocked preparaioryto adjustingthe switch, all of which will now more fully appear. I

To enable those herein smiled to make and use my said invention, I willnow more fully describe the same, referring to the acoompanying Figure1, as a perspective view of my lock;

Figure 2, as a detail sectional elevation enlarged;

Figure 3, as a detail side or rear view; and

Figure 4, as a side vieweof the switch-bolt.

The switchrstand has the target-lever A, and other-- wise is constructedin manner usual to operate the main and side railroad-tracks. I

In said lever I provide a rectangular-shaped slot, B, communicating witha side slot, b in said slots I arrange, respectively, the switch-bolt Q,tumbler O, and

spring devices a, as clearly shown in fig. 2.

The switch-bolt O is constructed to engage in the notches, of theswitch-stand 'in manner usual, and should have sufilcient play to unlockfrom the switchstand when fitted in the slotted lever A.

Furthermore, an bolt I provide with a side groove, 0, (in which thespring 0 pivoted to the tumbler O is the tumbler 0 being for thispurpose suitabiymortised" or slotted.

The bolt 0, tumbler O, and spring 0, when thus constructed and arrangedwithin the slotted target A,

are held in operative position by face-plates D D,- properly secured byscrew-bolts to said target-lever.

. The plate D, to allow for the free movements of the pin 0 in theadjustment of the bolt 0, is provided with an elongated slot, d, asshown in fig. 3; similarly the face-plate D has a suitable slot, at,slightly inclined, and arranged in position to allow for the inser tionof the turn-bolt or key, as indicated in fig. 1.

It will be observed that in the use of my said lock that, as the key orturn-bolt cannot be removed until- "the switch has been safely andproperly locked,'the

inconvenience and accidents frequently arising from a misapplication ofthe switch are thus, in a. great measure, overcome.

My improved lock is also simple, cheap, and dura.- ble in 'itsconstructionand use, readily applied, and readily -operated.

Having thus fully described my said invention,

\Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Animproved switch-lock,consi sting of the tumbler 0', spring 0,switch-bolt 0, having groove 0 and inclined notch'c, face-plates D D,when all said parts are arranged and combined to operate within slots Bb of the lever A, in the manncr'and for the purpose described.

In testimony of said invention I have hereunto set my hand in presenceof witnesses. Witnessesr ARGHIBALD THOMSON. WILLIAM W. HERTHEL,

ROBERT BURNS.

